Direct  Primaries 


LEGISLATIVE  REFERENCE  BUREAU 
MONTPELIER,  VT, 


1 


At  the  annual  March  election  of  1914  the  following  questions  will  be 
submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  qualified  electors  of  the  state: 

“Do  you  favor  a  preferential  primary  system  whereby  the  voters  may  in¬ 
struct  their  delegates  to  political  conventions  as  to  their  preference  for  can¬ 
didates  for  office?” 

“Do  you  favor  a  direct  primary  law  whereby  the  voters  are  to  vote 
directly  for  the  candidates  rather  than  the  present  system  of  nominating 
candidates  for  state,  congressional  and  county  officers?” 

In  view  of  this  fact  and  because  of  the  general  interest  in  the  subject 
throughout  the  state  this  bulletin  has  been  prepared  for  the  purpose  of  making 
available  to  the  general  public  the  information  contained  in  the  files  of  the 
Legislative  Reference  Bureau.  The  bureau  maintains  an  absolutely  impartial 
attitude  on  this  as  on  all  other  public  questions  and  any  statements  appearing 
in  this  pamphlet  must  not  be  taken  as  expressing  the  opinion  of  any  members 
of  the  bureau  force. 

JOHN  M.  AVERY, 

Legislative  Reference  Librarian . 


January,  1914. 


A 

DIRECT  PRIMARIES. 


C0‘ 


Definition. 

The  direct  primary  is  a  system  of  nominating  candidates  for  public 
office  designed  to  substitute  the  choice  of  the  candidates  of  the  several  parties 
directly  by  the  people  at  an  election  held  under  state  laws  similar  to  those 
governing  general  elections  for  the  present  method  of  choice  by  a  convention 
composed  of  delegates  elected  at  caucuses.  It  does  away  with  the  convention 
as  far  as  the  choice  of  candidates  is  concerned  though  in  some  states  the  con¬ 
vention  is  retained  for  the  purpose  of  framing  the  platform. 

Proceedure. 

Under  the  primary  system  the  aspirant  for  office  secures,  a  certain  num¬ 
ber  of  days  before  the  primary,  either  personally  or  through  agents,  a  number 
of  signatures  to  a  petition  asking  that  his  name  be  placed  on  the  primary 
ballot  as  a  candidate  for  the  nomination  of  the  party  of  which  he  is  a  member. 
If  he  secures  the  number  that  is  required,  usually  a  percentage  of  the  votes 
cast  for  the  candidate  of  his  party  for  the  same  office,  at  the  last  election 
his  name,  together  with  the  names  of  all  others  who  have  similarly  complied 
with  the  requirements,  is  placed  on  the  primary  ballot.  Some  states  require 
the  payment  of  a  fee  when  the  petition  is  filed,  varying  in  amount  with  the 
office  for  which  the  person  is  a  candidate. 

The  primaries  are  held  a  fixed  number  of  days  before  the  general  election, 
the  primaries  of  all  parties  being  held  at  the  same  time  and  place.  If  the 
system  in  force  in  the  state  is  the  open  primary  the  voter  receives  the  ballot 
of  all  parties  represented  at  the  election,  voting  any  one  he  may  desire  and 
depositing  the  others  in  the  blank  ballot  box..  If  the  closed  primary  is  the 
one  in  use  the  voter  receives  the  ballot  only  of  that  party  with  which  he  is 
affiliated.  The  candidate  who  receives  the  largest  vote  is  declared  the  nom¬ 
inee  of  the  party.  However,  this  is  not  the  case  in  some  states  when  there  are 
more  than  two  candidates  for  a  nomination,  there  being  a  provision  for  second 
choice  voting.  In  this  case  each  voter  votes  not  only  his  first  but  his  second 
choice  and  in  case  no  candidate  receives  a  majority  or  a  large  percentage  of 
first  choice  votes  the  second  choice  votes  are  counted  and  the  candidate 
receiving  the  largest  number  of  first  and  second  choice  votes  combined  is 
declared  the  nominee. 

Preferential  Primaries. 

The  preferential  primary  as  stated  in  the  referendum  is  a  method  by 
which  delegates  are  chosen  by  the  people  at  primaries  and  instructed  at  the 
primaries  as  to  whom  that  should  vote  for  at  the  convention  which  nominates 
candidates.  It  is,  in  brief,  an  instructed  delegate  plan  regulated  by  state  law. 

Primaries  in  Other  States. 

The  direct  primary  is  at  present  in  force  in  some  form  or  other  in  about 
forty  states.  In  some  states  all  officers  are  included  whether  congressional, 
state,  or  local,  while  in  others  a  part  only  are  included.  In  the  accompanying 
digest  onlv  those  states  are  shown  where  the  primary  is  mandatory,  regulated 
by  the  state,  and  includes  the  principal  state  officers.  In  certain  of  the  south¬ 
ern  states  there  have  been  held  for  many  years  direct  primaries  under  party 
rules,  though  in  some  cases  this  primary  has  been  later  legalized. 

I  nr  the  accompanying  table  the  presidential  preference  primaries  are  not 
included  nor  are  primaries  for  United  States  Senators  in  all  cases.  Usually 


4 


party  committeemen  and  sometimes  delegates  to  party  conventions  are  elected 
at  the  primaries. 

Arguments. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  of  the  direct  primary  and  many  ar¬ 
guments  have  been  advanced  pro  and  con.  The  following  have  been  com¬ 
piled  from  various  sources  and  are  here  arranged  in  opposing  columns.  This 
method  of  arrangement  does  not  result  in  a  continuous  logical  development 
of  the  argument  on  either  side  of  the  question,  the  aim  having  been  rather  to 
make  a  compilation  of  all  or  nearly  all  of  the  arguments  then  to  make  a  con¬ 
sistent  presentation  of  either  side  of  the  case.  The  preferential  primary  is 
not  treated  in  these  arguments  because  the  results  of  experience  under  such 
a  system  are  not  available  from  which  conclusions  might  properly  be  drawn. 
However  many  of  the  arguments  given  below  regarding  the  direct  primary 


might  be  applied  one  way  or  the  other 

For  Convention 

If  it  was  thought  that  the  convention  did 
not  represent  the  will  of  the  people  a  very 
simple  remedy  is  at  hand.  Unless  a  candidate 
receive  a  two-thirds  vote  at  the  convention 
a  primary  could  be  held.  Thus  the  primary 
could  be  used  as  a  safety  valve,  as  a  guarantee 
to  the  people  that  their  wishes  would  not  be 
disregarded. 


The  argument  for  direct  primaries  is 
based  upon  the  assumption  that  the  voter 
is  either  corrupt  or  ignorant;  corrupt  in  that 
he  has  used  his  vote  in  violation  of  his 
duty  or  ignorant  in  that  he  has  unknowingly 
let  himself  be  used  by  unscrupulous  politic¬ 
ians.  If  this  be  the  case  it  is  a  condition 
which  a  mere  change  in  nominating  machin¬ 
ery  will  not  remedy. 

As  the  number  of  voters  who  participate  in 
the  caucus  under  the  convention  system  is  not 
a  matter  of  record  no  accurate  comparison 
can  be  made.  But  it  is  a  matter  of  fact 
that  at  the  last  general  election  in  the  states 
of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Wisconsin, 
Kansas,  and  Oregon,  typical  primary  states, 
the  total  vote  for  governor  at  the  primary 
was  573,254  while  the  vote  at  the  general 
election  for  governor  was  1,020,533. 


The  convention  is  in  harmony  with  the 
representative  system  of  government.  If 
you  abandon  it  in  favor  of  the  primary  you 
are  but  taking  the  first  step  toward  the 
pure  democratic  form  of  government,  a 
form  which  history  proves  absolutely  un¬ 
workable  for  any  but  the  smallest  political 
units. 

The  curse  of  the  evils  of  bossism  is  not 
in  the  machinery  of  politics.  It  is  chiefly 
in  the  frequency  of  elections  and  the  enor- 


to  preferential  primaries. 

For  Primary. 

The  convention  has  always  been  a  tool 
easily  handled  by  a  clever  boss.  By  trading 
off  minor  places  and  by  sharp  practices  the 
boss  has  brought  the  convention  into  dis¬ 
repute  as  an  instrument  fitted  to  express 
the  people’s  will.  Even  when  honestly  and 
fairly  conducted,  a  convention  gives  an  undue 
advantage  to  aggressive,  unscrupulous  men, 
which  they  would  not  have  in  a  direct  primary. 

Direct  primaries  are  based  upon  the  as¬ 
sumption  that  the  rank  and  file  of  the  voters 
are  honest  and  intelligent,  and  that  they 
should  each  and  all  be  allowed  to  express 
their  views  on  all  candidacies  at  their  usual 
voting  place  instead  of  delegating  that  duty 
to  a  few  delegates  who,  away  from  home 
and  under  pressure,  may  be  led  into  mistakes, 
or  worse. 

It  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge 
that  only  a  small  per  cent  of  the  voters 
participate  in  th  e  caucus  but  there  is  a  large 
vote  at  the  primaries  because  the  voters 
know  that  their  vote  amounts  to  something 
therefore  they  come  out  to  the  primary. 
By  bringing  all  the  candidacies  before  the 
voters  at  one  time,  state,  congressional  and 
county,  the  interest  and  vote  will  be  larger 
and  more  representative  than  by*handling 
them  in  sections  as  at  present. 

In  this  nation  and  in  this  state,  the  will 
of  the  people  is  and  should  be  the  supreme 
law ;  and  that  that  will  may  be  made  effective 
you  need  public  officers  who  owe  their  nomina¬ 
tion  as  well  as  their  election  directly  to  the 
vote  of  the  people. 


We  are  using  19th  century  machinery 
to  nominate  officers  under  20th  century 
conditions.  The  methods  of  politics  no  less 


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State 

Date. 

Ariz. 
Chap.  84 
1912 


Cal. 

Acts  of  1913 
Ch.  699 


Colo. 
Ch.  4, 
1910 


Idaho 
p.  196, 
Laws,  1909, 
amended 
ch.  178-11 
ch.  85-’ 13 


Ill. 

Act  'of  1910 
as  amended 
by  1913  Act 


Iowa 

32  G  A. 
ch.  51 
amended 

33  G.  A. 
ch.  69 


Ivans. 

G.  S.  1909 
Sec.  3289- 
3311  as  a- 
mended  by 
1911,  1913 


Ky. 

Act  of  1912, 
Ch.  7 


Me. 

Laws  of  1913 
Chap.  221 


Mass. 

Acts  of  1911 
Ch.  550 


Offices  Covered 


All  elective  senatorial, 
congressional,  state,  coun¬ 
ty,  and  precinct  offices.  (1) 


All  elective  public  offi¬ 
cers  except  certain  local 
offices. 


U.  S.  Senators,  con¬ 
gressmen, all  elective,  state 
district,  city,  county, 
ward,  precinct  officers.  (1) 


All  elective,  state  dis¬ 
trict,  and  county  offi¬ 
cers.  (1) 


All  elective  officers,  ex¬ 
cept  certain  school  and 
township  officers.  (1) 


U.  S.  Senators,  con¬ 
gressmen, electors,  all  elect¬ 
ed  officers  except  supreme, 
district,  and  superior 
judges.  (1087-al) 


All  elective  officers  ex¬ 
cept  at  special  elections 
and  at  certain  local  elec¬ 
tions.  (3290) 


All  elective  officers  ex¬ 
cept  certain  local  and 
school  district  officers,  and 
presidential  electors. 


All  state  and  county 
offices,  U.  S.  senators, 
members  of  congress.  (1) 


All  offices  to  be  filled 
at  a  state  election  except 
presidential  electors.  (1) 


Mich. 

Governor,  lieutenant- 

Laws  of  1909 

governor,  U.  S.  senators. 

Ch.  281 

congressmen,  members  of 

amended 

the  legislature,  county 

279-T1 

officers,  certain  city  and  lo¬ 

118— ’13 

cal  officers.  (16) 

Minn. 

All  elective  officers  ex¬ 

R.  L.  T3 

cept  certain  local  officers. 

sec.  335 
etseq. 

Parties  Covered 

A  party  casting  5%  of  total  vote  of  state 
at  last  election  a  political  party  under  the  act. 
A  new  party  qualifies  on  petition  of  voters 
equal  to  2%  of  votes  cast  for  governor  at 
last  election  in  at  least  each  of  5  counties 
of  the  state.  (7) 

Any  party  which  at  last  preceding 
election  cast  3%  of  entire  vote  of 
state  for  any  of  its  candidates.  Any  party 
which  shall  at  least  50  days  before  any  primary 
election  register  at  least  3%  of  total  number 
of  electors  registered  at  last  election.  Any 
group  of  registered  qualified  electors  number- 
!ng  3%  of  total  registered  vote  at  last  Nov. 
election  who  shall  file  a  petition  with  the  Sec. 
of  State  declaring  that  they  represent  a 
political  party.  (1-9) 

A  party  polling  10%  of  the  total  vote  cast 
at  last  preceding  general  election.  (2) 


A  party  which  cast  at  last  election  10% 
of  total  vote  and  which  had  at  least  three 
nominees  for  state  offices.  (2) 


A  political  party  which  at  last  general 
election  next  preceding  a  primary  polled 
more  than  2%  of  entire  vote  cast  in  the  state. 
(2) 


A  party  which  at  last  election  cast  for  its 
candidates  for  governor  at  least  2%  of  the 
total  vote.  (1087-3a) 


Any  political  organization  filing  nomina¬ 
tion  papers  for  a  majority  of  state  and  countv 
offices  as  provided  in  the  act.  Act  requires  a 
petition  for  different  offices  to  be  signed  by 
varying  percentages  of  total  number  of  voters. 
(3293) 


An  affiliation  or  organization  of  electors 
representing  a  political  policy  and  having  a 
constituted  authority  for  its  gov’t  and  regu¬ 
lation  and  which  at  last  preceding  election 
at  which  presidential  electors  were  voted 
for  cast  20%  of  total  vote.  (5) 

Such  parties  as  at  last  preceding  election 
polled  at  least  1%  of  entire  vote  in  the  state 
cast  for  governor.  (1) 


Party  which  cast  at  least  3%  of  votes  for 
its  candidate  for  governor  at  last  election, 
(ch.  398-1912) 


Parties  represented  on  ballot  at  last 
election.  To  place  a  new  party  on  primary 
ballot  requires  petition  signed  by  3.000  voters. 
(25,  28) 


A  party  which  shall  have  maintained  an 
organization  and  presented  candidates  at 
last  election  one  or  more  /ft  whom  shall  have 
been  voted  for  in  each,  county  and  shall  have 
received  at  least  5%  of  total  vote  in  the  state, 
or  an  organization  whose  members  to  a 
number  equal  to  5%  of  total  votes  cast,  at  last 
lection  in  the  county  petition  for  a  place 
the  ballot.  (336) 


Mont. 

1912 

Initiated  and 
passed  by 
people 


Nebr. 
Comp. 
Statutes 
1911 
Ch.  26, 
Sec.  117 
et  seq. 


U.  S.  senators  and  all 
other  elective  state,  dis¬ 
trict,  and  county  officers. 
(2)  / 


All  elective  officers  ex¬ 
cept  certain  local  and 
county  officers.  (117b) 


Parties  represented  on  the  ballot  at  last 
preceding  general  election.  Any  number  of 
votes  not  thus  represented  equal  to  the 
number  required  of  the  party  requiring 
the  least  number  of  signatures  to  the  petition 
is  a  party  for  purposes  of  this  act.  (4) 

Party  which  polled  1%  of  entire  vote  in 
state,  county,  or  subdivision  entitled  to  a 
place  on  ballot  of  candidate  for  office  in  such 
political  division.  New  party  may  have 
placed  on  primary  ballot  if  a  specified  number 
of  voters  so  petition.  (11 8r,  s) 


Method  of  Voting 


V oter  shall  receive  only  the  bal¬ 
lot  of  party  for  which  he  asks. 
If  challenged  as  to  membership 
therein  he  must  make  oath  de¬ 
claring  affiliation  therewith. 
(8a-4,  8b) 

Voter  receives  ballot  of  party 
with  which  he  is  registered  as 
affiliated.  (17) 


Party  Conventions 


./ 


Voter  receives  ballots  of  all 
parties  but  votes  only  the  one  he 
desires, depositing  others  in  blank 
ballot  box.  If  challenged,  voter 
makes  oath  declaring  that  he 
is  affiliated  with  one  of  the 


parties  represented 
at  the  election.  (11) 


by  ballot 


Voter  rece.ves  ballot  only  of 
party  for  which  he  asks.  If 
challenged  as  to  membership 
therein  he  must  make  oath  as  to 
his  affiliation  therewith.  (15) 


Voter  receives  only  the  ballot 
of  the  party  with  which  he  de¬ 
clares  he  is  affiliated.  (43,  44) 


Voter  receives  ballot  of  party 
with  which  he  has  registered  as 
affiliated  but  may  change  his 
affiliation  by  making  oath  there¬ 
to.  (1087a6,  1087a9) 


Voter  receives  the  ballot  of 
party  for  which  he  desires  to  vote. 
If  challenged  as  to  his  affilia¬ 
tion  therewith  he  must  make 
oath  thereto.  (3300,  3302) 


Voter  receives  ballot  only  of 
party  with  which  he  is  enrolled. 
127) 


Voter  receives  ballot  only  of 
party  with  which  he  is  registered 
as  affiliated.  (13)  I  1 

i  'll 

11  :  \ 

Voter  receives  the  ballot  only 
of  party  with  which  he  is  en¬ 
rolled.  (14) 


Voter  receives  ballot  contain¬ 
ing  tickets  of  all  parties  repre¬ 
sented  and  votes  the  one  he 
desires.  (35) 


Voter  receives  the  ballot  of 
party  for  which  he  asks  but 
when  challenged  he  must  de¬ 
clare  that  he  has  voted  at  last 
election  and  intends  to  vote  at 
the  next  for  the  nominees  of 
the  party  for  whose  ballot  he 
asks.  (347) 


Voter  receive0  iVr.Vor  umV  °>f 
'fch  rfffch  he  is  affiliated. 

U  o) 


Voter  receives  a  ballot  con¬ 
taining  tickets  of  all  parties  and 
detaches  and  votes  the  ticket 
he  desires  placing  the  others  in 
the  blank  ballot  box.  (20) 


Voter  receives  ballot  only  of 
party  for  which  he  asks.  If 
challenged  he  must  make  oath 
regarding  his  party  affiliation. 
(117t) 


Provides  for  a  party  council 
of  nominees  and  committeemen 
who  shall  frame  platform.  (32-8) 


Convention  of  nominees  and 
delegates  provided  for,  which 
may  promulgate  platform  and 
nominate  presidential  electors, 
and  elect  state  committee.  (24) 


A  convention  composed  of 
candidates,  siat~  chairmen,  and 
hold-over  senators  plat¬ 

form.  (22) 


Convention  composed  of  dele¬ 
gates  chosen  by  party  commit¬ 
tees  who  in  turn  are  chosen  by 
nominees  shall  frame  platform. 
(29) 


County  convention  is  meeting 
of  county  committee  which 
chooses  delegates  to  congres¬ 
sional  and  state  conventions 
which  latter  nominates  presi¬ 
dential  electors  and  adopts  party 
platforms.  (10) 

A  state  convention  composed 
of  delegates  elected  Gy  a  county 
convention  the  m embers  .  o' 
which  are  in  turn  eloped  hy  ine 
voters  at  the  primary  shall 
frame  the  platform.  (10S7a25, 
a27) 

Platform  framed  by  a  party 
council  composed  of  candidates 
nominated  at  primaries,  hold¬ 
over  senators  of  the  party,  and 
chairmen  of  the  county  com¬ 
mittees  elected  at  the  primaries. 
(3307) 

No  provision  for  convention. 


State  convention  held  under 
rules  prescribed  by  state  com¬ 
mittee  of  party  frames  platform, 
(2) 

Convention  composed  of  can¬ 
didates  nominated  and  delegates 
elected  at  primaries  together 
with  IT.  S.  senators  who  are 
members  of  the  party  frames 
the  platform.  (18) 

State  convention  composed  of 
delegates  elected  at  county  con¬ 
vention  the  members  of  which 
are  elected  at  primaries  frame 
platform  and  nominates  state 
officers  not  nominated  at  pri¬ 
mary.  (43) 

Conventions  may  be  held 
composed  of  delegates  elected 
at  primaries.  (362) 


Not  pr 


State  convention  composed 
of  delegates  elected  at  county 
convention  frames  platform. 
(118j) 


Nev.  All  elective  public  offi- 

Laws,  1913  cers  except  certain  local 

Ch.  284  officers  and  presidental 

Ch.  3  electors.  (2) 


Voter  receives  ballot  of  party 
with  which  he  is  registered.  (18) 


Convention  composed  of  can¬ 
didates  nominated  at  primaries 
frames  the  party  platform.  (26) 


N.  H. 
1909 
Ch.  153 


N.  J. 
Election 
Laws,  1913 


At  the  date 
of  this  com¬ 
pilation  the 
N.  Y.  Stat¬ 
ute  of  1913 
was  not  avail¬ 
able 

N.  D. 

Laws  of 
1909 

Ch.109  as 
amended 

Ohio 

Laws, 

Sec.  4949 
pt  seq. 


Ore. 

Lord 
Ore. 
Laws, 
Sec.  3349 
et  seq. 

Okla. 

Laws, 

1909 

Pa. 

Laws  of 
1913 
Ch.  400 


S.  D. 
Laws  of 
1911, 
Ch.201. 


Wash. 

Rem. — 

Bal. 

Code, 

Sec.  4804 
et  seq. 

Wis. 

Statutes 
11-1  et  seq. 


Wyo. 

Laws  of  1911 
Ch.  23 


All  elective  officers  ex¬ 
cept  certain  local  officers. 
(3) 


The  principal  elective 
officers.  (396) 


Congressmen,  state  and 
county  officers.  (2) 


All  elective  officers  ex¬ 
cept  certain  local  officers. 
(4949,  4951) 


Anv^fWlitical  organization  which  at  pre- 
cedingelection  polled  at  least  3%  of  the  entire 
vote  of  the  state  for  governor.  (1) 


A  partv  which  in  last  election  of  number 
of  general  assembly  cast  5%  of  the  total  vote 
for  its  candidates  in  the  district  in  which 
nominations  are  made.  (258-1) 


Party  casting  5%  of  votes  for  governor 
at  last  general  election.  (10) 


Parties  which  at  last  election  polled  10% 
of  entire  vote  cast  for  governor.  (4949) 


All  elective  officers. 
(3350) 


All  elective  officers. 
(4-1) 


U.  S.  senators,  congress¬ 
men,  elective  state,  county, 
city,  ward  etc.,  officers. 
(1) 


All  elective  congression¬ 
al,  state,  county,  legis¬ 
lative  and  district  officers 
and  U.  S.  senators. 


All  elective  officers  ex¬ 
cept  certain  local  officers. 
(4805) 


All  elective  officers  ex¬ 
cept  certain  judicial, 
school,  and  local  officers. 
(11-2) 


All  officers  elected  by 
direct  vote  at  general 
election,  U.  S.  senators, 
and  congressmen.  (1)  f 


A  party  which  at  last  election  polled  25% 
of  total  votes  cast  for  its  candidates  for 
congressmen.  (3359) 


A  partv,  one  of  whose  candidates  polled 
in  each  of  at  least  10  counties  not  less  than 
2%  of  the  largest  vote  cast  for  any  elected 
candidate  and  polled  a  total  in  the  state  of 
at  least  2%  of  the  largest  vote  cast  for  any 
elected  candidate.  (2) 

Party  that  has  maintained  a  state  organi¬ 
zation  and  has  had  candidates  on  official 
ballot  at  last  election  or  which  shall  at  any 
general  election  hereafter  poll  10%  of  the 
total  vote  for  governor  for  an  independent 
candidate.  (1) 

Anv  partv  represented  on  ballot  at  last 
election  if  any  of  its  candidates  received  10% 
of  total  votes  cast.  (4807) 


Any  party  anv  of  whose  candidates 
received  1%  of  total  vote  cast  at  last  election. 
(11-5) 


A  party  which  at  last  election  cast  for  its 
candidate  for  congressmen  10%  of  the  total 
vote  cast  for  office.  (44) 


Voter  receives  the  ballot  only 
of  party  with  which  he  is 
registered.  May  register  at  the 
primary.  (9) 

Voter  receives  ballot  only  of 
party  with  which  he  is  affiliated 
and  whose  ticket  he  voted  at 
last  primary  election.  (391) 


Voter  receives  ballot  of  party 
with  which  he  is  affiliated.  (10) 


Voter  receives  ballot  only  of 
party  with  which  he  is  affiliated. 


Convention  composed  of 
party  nominees  and  delegates 
elected  at  primary  frames  plat¬ 
form.  (19) 

Convention  composed  of  dele¬ 
gates  chosen  at  primaries 
frames  platform.  (271) 


Voter  receives  ballot  of  party 
with  which  he  is  registered. 
(3386) 


Voter  to  vote  the  ballot  of 
only  one  party.  (4—5) 


Voter  receives  ballot  of  party 
for  which  he  asks.  If  challenged 
he  must  make  oath  that  at  last 
election  he  supported  the  major¬ 
ity  of  candidates  of  party  for 
whose  ballot  he  asks.  (12) 

Voter  receives  the  ballot  of 
party  of  which  he  is  a  member. 
If  challenged  he  must  make 
oath  as  to  party  affiliation. 
(85,88) 


Voter  receives  ballot  of  party 
for  which  he  asks  but  if  chal¬ 
lenged  he  must,  make  oath  as  to 
his  party  affiliation.  (4815) 


Voter  receives  ballot  containing 
all  tickets  represented,  votes  the 
one  he  desires  and  deposits 
others  in  blank  ballot  box. 
(11-12) 

Voter  receives  ballot  of  partv 
with  which  he  is  affiliated.  (23) 


Platform  framed  by  state 
central  committee  members  of 
which  are  elected  by  county 
committees.  (40) 


Convention  composed  of  dele¬ 
gates  elected  at  primaries  frames 
platform  in  years  -when  there  is 
a  presidental  election.  (4253) 
Other  years  the  platform  is 
framed  by  a  convention  com¬ 
posed  of  the  party  nominees 
and  members  of  the  party  com¬ 
mittees.  (4991) 

Publicity  pamphlet  compiled 
by  party  committees  and  pub¬ 
lished  by  state. 


Conventions  abolished  but 
state  publicity  pamphlet  pro¬ 
vided  for.  (104,  136) 


Party,  organization  may  have 
conventions  but  not  to  nominate 
candidates  for  offices  which  are 
voted  upon  at  primaries.  (4826) 


Candidates  nominated  at  pri¬ 
maries  and  hold-over  senators 
meet  in  convention  and  frame 
platform.  (11-22) 


Convention  made  up  of  dele¬ 
gates  chosen  by  county  com¬ 
mittees  frames  platform.  (40) 


For  Convention. 


For  Primary. 


5 


mous  number  and  absurd  variety  ofj  places 
to  be  filled  by  elections.  Not  more  but 
less  elections  is  what  we  want. 


It  must  be  remembered  that  Vermont 
does  not  have  the  same  convention  system 
that  many  of  the  Western  states  where 
they  now  have  direct  primaries,  formerly  had. 
Where  the  voters  in  the  town  elected  dele¬ 
gates  to  the  county  convention  who  in  turn 
elected  delegates  to  the  state  convention 
which  nominated  the  state  officers.  In 
Vermont  the  town  elects  directly  the  dele¬ 
gates  to  the  state  nominating  convention  and 
holds  those  delegates  directly  responsible. 
Vermont  laws  should  be  framed  not  to  meet 
the  needs  of  some  far  off  Western  state 
but  to  meet  the  needs  of  Vermont. 

Where  the  direct  primary  concentrates 
the  burden  of  the  expense  of  making  nomina¬ 
tions  in  a  few  candidates,  the  convention 
scatters  it  among  a  large  number  of  delegates 
who  were  each  able  and  willing  to  stand  the 
small  expense  requisite  to  attend  the  con¬ 
vention. 


No  law  can  be  framed  which  will  ade¬ 
quately  limit  the  expenditures  of  candidates. 
Everyone  knows  that  the  active  candidate 
begins  work  years  before  the  actual  campaign 
and  if  he  has  abundant  money  to  spend 
in  thus  early  advancing  his  candidacy  he 
will  spend  it.  Moreover  there  are  many 
indirect  ways  of  spending  money  which  in 
states  having  the  primary  it  has  been  found 
impossible  to  reach  by  publicity  laws. 

Not  only  is  the  expense  of  candidacy 
increased  but  the  expense  to  the  state  is 
doubled  by  virtue  of  the  fact  that  a  second 
election  is  held.  In  some  of  the  states 
where  direct  primaries  are  in  force  the  states 
pay  for  publicity  pamphlet  advertising  the 
merits  of  the  different  candidates  and  in 
other  of  the  direct  primary  states  there  is  an 
agitation  for  this  so-called  reform. 

The  party  convention  must  be  retained 
to  frame  the  party  platform.  The  platform 
should  not  be  framed  by  the  nominees  of 
the  party  as  thus  they  would  be  given  all 
the  power  of  the  party  and  having  been 
nominated  the  party  can  have  no  redress 
if  the  platform  fails  to  express  its  principles. 
The  people  should  instruct  the  candidates, 
not  vica  versa. 


than  those  of  business  must  be  in  accord 
with  the  spirit  of  the  times.  Anything  which 
will  tend  to  increase  interest  in  public 
officials  and  public  affairs  as  does  the  direct 
primary  is  of  inestimable  benefit. 

The  direct  primary  movement  is  one  that 
is  sweeping  the  country.  Vermont  is  out 
of  step  with  the  march  of  progress  and  it  is 
high  time  she  got  in  line. 

Any  indirect  method  of  representation 
destroys  responsibility.  The  management 
of  caucuses  and  conventions  has  become  so 
complicated  that  they  are  practically  re¬ 
moved  from  popular  control  and  fall  into 
the  hands  of  professional  politicians. 


The  delegates  elected  to  attend  upon  the 
nominating  convention  are  confronted  with 
the  expenditure  of  a  considerable  sum  of 
money  and  a  still  further  contribution  of 
time  to  make  a  journey  to  the  place  of  hold¬ 
ing  the  convention.  They  must  undertake 
this  expense  either  from  a  pure  loyalty  to 
party,  devotion  to  the  interest  of  some 
candidate  or  because  they  personally  aspire 
to  receive  some  political  preferment,  and 
regard  the  time  and  money  spent  in  the  light 
of  a  political  investment. 

Under  the  convention  system  it  is  a  matter 
of  common  report  that  large  sums  of  money 
have  been  expended.  A  primary  law  properly 
guarded  by  requiring  publicity  and  limitation 
of  campaign  expenses  would  make  clear  to 
everyone  just  how  the  money  was  spent,  and 
that  in  itself  would  cure  the  extensive  and 
improper  use  of  money. 


It  is  quite  proper  that  the  state  should 
bear  the  expense  of  candidacy  in  a  measure 
and  one  of  the  principal  evils  of  the  con¬ 
vention  system  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  can¬ 
didate  must  pay  his  own  expenses  or  allow 
them  to  be  paid  by  some  interests  under 
obligation  to  whom  he  will  thereby  be  placed. 


A  convention  composed  of  all  of  a  party’s 
candidates  would  make  a  platform  which 
would  be  more  binding  upon  them  than  a 
platform  made  by  a  convention  of  which 
they  were  not  members. 


6 


For  Convention. 

There  has  been  a  strong  tendency  in  states 
having  the  direct  primary  for  the  party 
managers  to  submit  a  complete  slate  at  the 
primary  and  through  the  influence  of  their 
organization  to  nominate  it  in  its  entirety. 
This  practice,  common  in  certain  states 
makes  the  nomination  of  a  candidate  object¬ 
ionable  to  the  party  organization  a  practical 
impossibility  as  he  would  have  to  build  up 
an  organization  in  every  district  throughout 
the  state  to  stand  a  chance  against  the  firmly 
intrenched  party  machine. 

The  following  important  elements  of  party 
success  can  be  considered  in  making  a  well 
balanced  ticket  at  a  convention  but  not  at  a 
direct  primary;  geographical  distribution 
of  the  candidates;  their  nationality;  their 
social  standing;  the  class  represented;  the 
commercial,  industrial  and  agricultural  in¬ 
terests,  etc.,  that  they  stand  for;  the  shades 
of  political  idea  entertained. 

The  delegates  to  the  convention  being  the 
prominent  citizens  of  the  comrq,unity  are 
likely  to  have  been  members  of  the  legislature 
and  thus  to  have  become  acquainted  with  the 
candidates  for  the  minor  offices  who  in  reality 
conduct  most  of  the  business  of  the  state  and 
regarding  whom  the  ordinary  voter  would 
have  no  knowledge. 

The  process  of  deliberation  and  debate  in 
a  convention  secures  an  attention  to  all  the 
circumstances  that  a  primary  cannot  obtain. 
Under  a  primary  system  Seward,  not  Lin¬ 
coln,  would  have  been  nominated  in  1860. 
Lincoln  is  a  typical  product  of  the  conven¬ 
tion  system. 

The  well-known  man  regardless  of  what 
he  is  noted  for  has  an  advantage  in  the  race 
for  the  nomination  over  one  better  qualified 
but  less  generally  known.  It  is  notoriety 
and  not  worth  that  counts  under  the  direct 
primary. 


The  people  are  compelled  to  depend  al¬ 
most  entirely  on  what  the  newspapers  say 
about  the  candidates  while  under  the  con¬ 
vention  system  the  peoples’  representatives 
at  the  convention  meet  the  candidates  and 
can  form  their  own  judgments  of  them. 

Willingness  on  the  part  of  adequate 
men  to  serve  the  public  in  office  is  rare 
enough  at  best,  and  willingness  on  the  part 
of  adequate  men  to  undergo  one  protracted 
and  necessarily  expensive  campaign  of 
personalities  for  the  right  to  undergo  another 
protracted  and  expensive  campaign  for  the 
right  to  serve  the  public  in  office  is  more  than 


For^Primary. 

Granted  that  the  party  managers  do  sub¬ 
mit  a  complete  slate;  under  the  primary 
system  the  people  have  the  chance  to  reject 
it,  while  under  the  convention  they  do  not. 


The  one  test  we  should  apply  to  candidates 
for  office  is,  can  he  do  the  work  required  ' 
honestly  and  efficiently?  Whether  he  lives 
in  one  end  of  the  state  or  the  other  is  not  a 
common  sense,  business  like  requirement. 
What  the  state  needs  is  genuine  service,  not  a 
lesson  in  geography,  social  standing  or 
commercial  interests. 


In  Vermont  the  minor  officers  are  town, 
village  and  city  officials,  and  in  these  cases 
we  have  a  fairly  good  primary  system  now. 
In  this  state  the  direct  primary  should  apply 
to  state,  congressional  and  county  officials 
only,  and  every  voter  should  have  the  right 
to  pass  on  every  one  of  these  nominations. 


The  talk  of  the  “calm  and  deliberate 
judgment”  of  the  convention  is  pure  farce. 
What  more  disorderly,  more  turbulent,  and 
generally  uproarious  assembly  can  one 
imagine  than  the  average  political  convention? 


To  say  that  the  people  of  Vermont  would 
elect  a  man  merely  because  he  had  some 
notoriety  strongly  questions  their  good  sense, 
to  say  the  least.  And  it  is  a  fact  that  the 
men  who  are  well  known  are  those  who  in 
turn  know  the  state  well,  its  conditions  and 
needs. 

The  newspapers  are  one  of  the  greatest 
powers  in  modern  life  and  they  will  exercise 
their  power  regardless  of  what  nominating 
system  we  have. 


It  can  be  well  argued  that  unless  a  man  has 
interest  enough  in  a  governmental  office  to 
work  to  get  it,  he  isn’t  the  man  we  want  for 
that  office.  We  want  men  in  office  who 
are  interested  in  their  work.  There  is  no 
difference  between  the  two  systems  in  the 
length  of  campaign  or  in  the  expense.  There 
was  probably  never  a  primary  campaign  in 


For  Convention. 


For  Primary. 


ran  be  expected  normally  except  from  those 
at  once  very  rich  and  very  patriotic. 


The  primary  makes  possible  the  choice 
of  a  candidate  by  a  small  faction  of  the 
party  decidedly  in  the  minority.  If  there 
are  six  candidates  and  the  vote  is  somewhat 
evenly  divided  it  is  possible  that  the  highest 
candidate  may  receive  not  more  than  17% 
of  the  total  vote  cast.  There  is  not  sufficient 
guarantee  that  the  successful  candidate 
really  commands  sufficient  general  support 
in  the  party  to  warrant  his  choice  as  a  rep¬ 
resentative.  Any  second  choice  system  is 
too  complicated  to  receive  the  consideration 
of  practical  men. 

The  direct  primary  increases  the  power 
of  the  large  towns  at  the  expense  of  the  small 
towns.  At  a  nomination  by  direct  vote  of 
the  people  the  vote  for  Chittenden  County 
would  be  practically  dominated  by  Burl¬ 
ington  and  Winooski  and  Washington  County 
by  Barre  and  Montpelier  and  a  similar 
domination  by  the  large  towns  would  be  the 
result  throughout  the  state.  The  vote  in 
Essex  county  would  be  more  than  balanced 
by  the  vote  of  either  Bennington,  Brattle- 
boro,  or  St.  Johnsbury, 


No  plan  is  honest  that  permits  a  Demo¬ 
crat  to  participate  in  a  Republican  caucus, 
whose  nominee  he  has  no  intention  of  support¬ 
ing,  or  the  reverse.  And  if  you  do  not  have 
such  a  plan  you  must  have  one  whereby 
the  voter  declares  in  advance  his  political 
allegiance,  and  having  done  this  he  has  lost 
his  independence  as  a  voter. 

The  direct  primary,  through  doing  away 
with  the  party  convention  and  all  the  en- 
thusiam  and  sentiment  created  thereby, 
lessens  party  responsibility  and  interest  and 
the  loss  of  the  efficiency  of  the  party  as  an 
organization  logically  results. 

The  primary  calls  for  another  complete 
election  and  preliminary  election  campaign 
with  all  the  waste  of  time  and  money  and 
political  turmoil  entailed  thereby. 

There  are  so  many  candidates  at  the  pri¬ 
mary  that  the  voter  cannot  vote  intelligently 
on  any  but  the  most  important  officers. 


It  is  a  fact  that  in  nearly  every  state 


the  country  so  expensive  in  proportion  to  the 
area  and  population  of  the  state  as  was  the 
convention  campaign  of  Vermont  in  1902. 

Under  the  convention  system  it  often 
happens  that  candidates  are  nominated 
who  receive  no  votes  whatever  in  the  caucuses, 
but  are  put  in  through  manipulation  and 
trading,  regardless  of  any  expression  at  all  on 
the  part  of  the  voters.  The  primary  system 
gives  the  majority  a  much  better  chance  of 
forcing  their  will  than  any  other  system 
ever  introduced. 


The  direct  primary  does  not  weaken  the 
power  of  the  small  town.  It  strengthens  the 
power  of  the  individual  voter,  and  aids  the 
rank  and  file  both  in  the  small  towns  and  in  the 
large  ones.  The  only  power  weakened  is 
that,  of  the  bosses,  the  political  worker, 
and  the  selfish  interest.  Under  the  present 
convention  system  a  small  towns  ends  one, 
two  or  three  delegates  to  a  convention,  held 
in  a  city  or  large  town.  On  these  delegates  is 
massed  all  the  pressure  that  the  big  town, 
the  big  interests  and  the  big  politicians 
can  produce.  Under  a  direct  primary  the 
voters  go  to  their  regular  polling  place  and 
vote  their  preference  without  outside  pres¬ 
sure,  and  manipulation. 

Our  political  life  is  largely  dominated 
by  parties  and  so  a  man  must  as  a  practical 
means  of  making  his  will  felt,  ally  himself 
with  one  party  or  another.  Any  man  who 
refuses  such  a  simple  requirement  as  that 
should  not  complain  if  he  is  no  better  off 
under  the  present  nominating  system. 


The  argument  that  the  primary  destroys 
the  party  power  is  based  on  theory  and  not  on 
experience.  For  it  is  a  fact  that  in  the  states 
where  direct  primaries  are  in  force  parties 
are  as  strongly  entrenched  as  ever. 


The  primary  system  substitutes  for  the 
elaborate  system  of  unregulated  caucuses  and 
conventions  a  simple  method  of  nominating 
all  officers  at  one  election. 

Primaries  enlarge  the  field  of  public  service 
by  increasing  the  range  of  men  who  can  have 
hope  of  getting  into  office.  And  it  is  not  a  fact 
that  the  voters  of  Vermont  are  so  unintelli¬ 
gent  as  to  be  unable  to  choose  their  officers. 

Direct  primaries  have  called  for  no  more 


8 


3  0112  061582919 


For  Convention. 

where  direct  primaries  are  in  force  there 
have  been  constant  and  continual  demands  for 
supplementary  legislation  to  make  primaries 
efficient.  As  one  writer  has  expressed  it 
“it  is  like  using  drags,  the  more  they  use  the 
drugs  the  worse  off  they  are”. 


For  Primary. 


supplementary  legislation  than  have  caucu 
and  convention  systems.  The  only  differenc 
is,  that  as  the  primary  system  is  newer 
supplementary  legislation  is  more  recent  am 
therefore  more  prominent  in  the  public  mind 
Then  too,  we  must  remember  that  the  direc 
primary  laws  in  some  states  were  prepare 
by  those  who  opposed  them,  driven  to  it  by! 
public  pressure.  There  is  no  serious  trouble 
in  states  like  Oregon,  Washington,  Wiscon-J 
sin  and  others  where  the  primary  laws  have 
been  written  by  friends  of  the  system  anc 
not  mutilated  by  enemies  in  the  course  o: 
enactment. 


